Surfboards, snow boards, and kayaks, for example, are often difficult to store securely due to their long, unwieldy shapes. These pleasure craft, and others like them, often must be securely stored or retained, for example, for transport or simply to prevent theft, while at the same time being easily accessible to the user. The present invention consists of methods and apparatus for retaining one or more pleasure craft, for example, surfboards, wind surfboards, snow and water skis, snow boards, kayaks and canoes, and the like, such that the craft can be quickly and easily securely retained for storage or transport and, when necessary, quickly and easily released from restraint.
Conventional pleasure craft, such as surfboards or wind surfboards, are recognized for their light weight and durability, but due to their inherent size are cumbersome to store and especially cumbersome to transport. Secure storage and transport can be particularly difficult when more than one craft is being transported, for example, on the roof of a car or by means of a trailer towed by a car or other means. Typical conventional methods of transporting such craft include car "roof racks" that often require a rather cumbersome and time-consuming process to attach the craft to the rack and subsequent removal from the rack.
Also, conventional methods of securely storing several such craft to prevent theft are limited to storing such craft behind locked doors or, if stored outside, stored in fenced enclosures. These methods typically inconvenience the user since the craft typically have to be hand-carried from the storage area to the location it will be used, for example, to the beach or ski slope. Though storage devices typically appear in trade journals, these devices typically provide minimal protection from theft. If conventional devices do provide some means of protection from theft, removal of the craft from such devices by the user is typically difficult and time consuming. In addition such devices typically rely on other means for preventing theft, for example, a locked gate or door.
Some prior art means for securing such craft from theft or unauthorized use employ devices that are physically attached to the craft such that the surface of the craft must be modified in some way. For example, some prior art consists of threaded connections or other attachments, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,649, for securing the craft to a cable, for example, by means of a padlock. One of the disadvantages of such a device is that the surface of the craft must be physically altered to accommodate such a locking device. In addition, when a protective cover is placed over the craft--as is typical to prevent physical damage, especially during transport--such prior art locking devices are typically inaccessible without the inconvenience of removing the cover. These and other limitations of the prior art are circumvented by the method and apparatus of the present invention.
One embodiment of the present invention consists of an apparatus for securing at least one pleasure craft, having a first end and a second end, to a rigid support so that the craft is secured against unauthorized removal while providing easy access to the owner or authorized user. The apparatus consists of a first loop of cable that is passed over the first end of the craft; a second loop of cable that is passed over the second end of the craft; and a means for securing the first loop to the second loop while engaging the rigid support such that the craft is secured to the rigid support. It is to be understood that the term "cable" can refer to any form of tensile member, for example, natural fiber or synthetic fiber rope, chord, or strap; or metal chain or metal cable, or the like. The cable is preferably one that provides at least some degree of security from breakage or theft, for example, it is not easily cut by conventional means. For example, one preferred cable is one consisting of braided metal wire, e.g., braided steel wire, enclosed in a wear-resistant plastic cover. This cover, or other means of preventing abrasion of the surface of the craft or support, is particularly preferred in areas where the cable bears against the craft or support.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first cable loop is formed from a continuous length of cable, the first end of which is secured to an intermediate location of the cable itself to form the first loop and the second end of the continuous cable includes a means for securing it to the second loop. The second loop may also consist of a second continuous length of cable forming the second loop at a first end and having a second end with a means for securing the second end of the second length of cable to the second end of the first length of cable. Another embodiment of this invention consists of a single length of cable having a first end and a second end. The first end of the single length of cable includes a means for securing or attaching the first end to an intermediate point on the cable to form a first loop and the second end includes a means for securing the second end to an intermediate point on the cable to form a second loop. The first and second loops are attached to a pleasure craft and engage a rigid support as described in the earlier embodiments.
This invention also includes a method for securing at least one pleasure craft, having a first end and a second end, to a rigid support by means of one or more cables so that the craft is secured against unauthorized removal while providing easy access to the owner or authorized user. This method consists of a) forming a first loop of cable and placing the loop over a first end of the craft; b) forming a second loop of cable and passing the second loop over the second end of the craft; and c) securing the first loop to the second loop, while engaging the rigid support, to secure the craft to the support. Step c) preferably includes removablely securing the first loop to the second loop so that an authorized user can disconnect the first loop from the second loop so that the one or more crafts can be removed.
This invention also includes a method for securing a pleasure craft to a rigid support for transport or storage, the rigid support having two or more elongated members, by means of a first cable having a terminal loop and a locking device and a second cable in the shape of a loop, consisting of: a) placing the craft against the elongated members; b) placing the terminal loop of said first cable over one end of the craft; c) placing the second cable loop over the other end of the craft; and d) securing the locking device of the first cable to the loop of the second cable such that the craft and cable are secured to the rigid support.
Another embodiment of this invention consists of an apparatus for securing a first cable end to a second cable end while providing cable tensioning and release. This apparatus may be used to secure one or more pleasure craft as described above, but it may be used for securing any cable ends, especially any cable ends of a cable requiring tensioning and ease of release. This embodiment of the invention consists of a device for securing a first cable end to a second cable end consisting of: a first u-shaped channel having a first end and a second end, the first channel having a means for securing the first cable end adjacent to the second end of the channel; and a second u-shaped channel having a first end pivotably connected to the first end of the first channel, a second end, and a means for securing the second cable end to the second channel; wherein the first and second channels include a means for securing the first channel to the second channel after the second channel is rotated into engagement with the first channel. The cable may consist of a strap or any of the forms of tensile members discussed above, but again is preferably a cable that provides at least some degree of security from theft. The first and second cable ends may be from a single cable or from two separate cables.
The means for securing the first cable end to the second end of the first channel preferably consists of a means for compressing the first cable end between two rigid elements. This means of compressing the cable end to secure it may consists of many conventional clamping arrangements, including threaded fasteners or a "vise-grip" type clamp. One of the preferred means of compressing the cable end is by using one of the internal surfaces of the first channel. This means may be any suitable compression device, but it preferably consists of at least one rotatable, threaded, nut-like device which when rotated compresses the cable end between a plate and the first channel to prevent the release of the cable end from the second end of the first channel. The nut-like device is preferably a t-shaped flat plate having a threaded hole which engages a threaded pin, the threaded pin being rigidly attached to the bottom of the first channel. This nut-like device allows for easy hand tightening and compression of the plate against the cable. The nut and plate may consist of a single integral component or may consist of two individual elements. This means of compressing the cable end may also include the use of a flexible or resilient disk or washer positioned beneath the nut-like device. This flexible washer will allow the nut to be gradually tightened while providing a degree of friction to prevent slippage. This flexible washer may be located above the cable end and beneath the nut like device or below the cable end and between the cable end and the internal surface of the channel. This washer or flat plate my be made from an elastomeric material, for example, nylon or rubber, or from a flexible metallic material, for example, a belleville spring washer may be used.
The means of securing the first end of the cable to the second end of the first channel may also include a rotatable element located further from the second end of the first channel than the nut-like device. This rotatable element, for example a pulley, typically rotates about a pinion which is rigidly connected to the first channel. After passing the nut-like device, the first end of the cable passes about this rotatable element and then doubles back toward the second end of the first channel, preferably beneath the nut-like device and plate. This rotatable element allows the cable to be easily tensioned by pulling on the free end of the cable while simultaneously securing the cable beneath the nut-like device. Thus the nut-like device may compress one or more lengths of cable when tightened in the first channel.
The nut-like device is preferably secured from rotation when the second channel is rotatably engaged with said first channel. For example, the nut-like device may include an upper section having a rectangular cross section and the second end of the second channel may include a complementary rectangular slot such that when the second channel is pivotably rotated to engage the first channel, the rectangular slot engages the rectangular nut section to prevent rotation of the nut-like device. The nut-like device may also include means for securing the first channel to the second channel when engaged, for example, the nut-like device may include one or more through holes in the rectangular section of the nut-like device for introducing a locking device, such as a pad lock.
The means for securing the second end of the cable to the second channel may consist of any conventional means, but is preferably a means in which the second end of the cable adjustably engages the second channel while being easily released. One preferred means consists of a series of pairs of u-shaped openings formed in plates positioned perpendicular to the bottom of the second channel. These openings preferably adjustably engage the second end of the cable. This adjustable engagement may be effected by any conventional means, but is preferably effected by use of a t-shaped element attached to the second cable end. This t-shaped element preferably is passed through a slot in the second channel and engages a pair of u-shaped openings located on either side of the slot. When the second channel is rotatably engaged with the first channel the t-shaped element is secured between the sides of the u-shaped slots and the bottom of the first channel.
This invention further consists of a device for securing one or more pleasure craft to prevent their theft or unauthorized use consisting of: a cable having a first end and a second end, having a t-shaped element at the second end; a first u-shaped elongated channel having a first end and a second end, having a means for adjustably securing the first end of the cable adjacent to the second end of the first channel and having a element adjacent to the second end and positioned perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the channel and the element having a through hole; a second u-shaped elongated channel having a first end pivotably connected to the first end of the first channel, a second end, and a plurality of u-shaped openings in the sides of the channel, between the first end and the second end, for receiving the arms of the t-shaped element of the cable and having a slotted hole through which the tab of the first channel can pass; wherein when the second channel is rotated about its first end and tightens the cable to secure the pleasure craft, the second channel engages the first channel and the perpendicular element of the first channel passes through the hole of the second channel such that a locking device can be inserted into the through hole to prevent disengagement of the channels. The perpendicular element, which preferably protrudes above the top of the first channel, may consist of flat plate having one or more through holes; a rod, threaded nut, or screw having an eyelet or other hole; or a nut-like device with a through hole, as described above, or any other similar construction.
This invention further consists of a method of securing a first cable end to a second cable end of one or more cables by using a device consisting of a first u-shaped channel having a first end and a second end. The first channel used in this method has a means for securing the first cable end adjacent to the second end, which consists of a threaded pin and a threaded-nut-like device, for example, as described above. The first channel further includes a second pin rigidly connected to said first channel, at a position further from the second end of the first channel than the nut-like device, and a rotatable disk-like element, such as a pulley, that rotates about the second pin. The method also uses a second u-shaped channel having a first end pivotably connected to the first end of the first channel, a second end, and a means for securing the second cable end to the second channel, such as described above. The device used in this method also includes a means for securing the first channel to the second channel after the second channel is rotated into engagement with the first channel. The method consists of the following steps: a) securing said second cable end to the second channel; b) passing said first cable end into said second end of said first channel and beneath said nut-like device; c) passing said first cable end about said rotatable disk-like element; d) tensioning said one or more cables by pulling said first cable end; e) rotating said nut-like device so that said first cable end is secured to the first channel; f) rotating said second channel into engagement with said first channel; and g) securing said second channel to said first channel to prevent disengagement of the two channels.
The second cable end used in this method may include a t-shaped element and the second channel may include a slotted hole and a series of u-shaped slots, wherein step a) comprises the further steps of a1) passing the t-shaped element through the slotted hole of the second channel and a2) engaging the t-shaped element with the u-shaped slots of the second channel.
The Step c) of this method may also consist of the additional step c1) of, after passing the first cable end about the rotatable disk-like element, passing the first cable end back out the second end of said first channel. Also, step f) of the method may also consist of the further step f1) of, while rotating said second channel into engagement with said first channel, tensioning said second end so that said one or more cables are tensioned.
These and other embodiments of this invention will become more apparent upon review of the following drawings and the attached claims.